A ringing statement

April 19, 2013

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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MMA fighter Curtis Millender practices his punches at LA Boxing in Fullerton, where he trains and works part-time with coach Billy Burke. Millender has been training for seven years, and one day decided to begin fighting professionally. "I just walked through the door and told him I wanted to fight," Curtis said. He recently won his first professional fight against Blake Belshe, knocking him out in 34 seconds. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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MMA fighter Curtis Millender, who has been training for seven years, holds a weight while working out at LA Boxing in Fullerton. Curtis recently won his first fight against Blake Belshe last week, knocking him out in 34 seconds. Under coach Billy Burke at LA Boxing, Curtis follows a strict workout regimen, including 6-mile runs, wrestling and strength conditioning. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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MMA fighter Curtis Millender practices his punches at LA Boxing in Fullerton, where he trains and works part-time with coach Billy Burke. Millender has been training for seven years and recently won his first fight against Blake Belshe. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Curtis Millender, left, trains with his coach Billy Burke Saturday morning at LA Boxing in Fullerton, where Curtis also works part-time. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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MMA fighter Curtis Millender practices his kicks at LA Boxing in Fullerton, where he trains and works part-time with coach Billy Burke. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

MMA fighter Curtis Millender practices his punches at LA Boxing in Fullerton, where he trains and works part-time with coach Billy Burke. Millender has been training for seven years, and one day decided to begin fighting professionally. "I just walked through the door and told him I wanted to fight," Curtis said. He recently won his first professional fight against Blake Belshe, knocking him out in 34 seconds. KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The lights inside the LA Boxing gym in Fullerton usually flicker on around 6 a.m. every day when Curtis Millender arrives to open the facility.

They'll stay on until around 10 p.m., or whenever the 25-year-old calls it a night and closes up shop.

"I'm the first one here and the last one to leave," Millender said. "Every day."

It's the life of an up-and-coming mixed martial arts fighter. Every waking hour of every day is seemingly spent inside the gym training.

But Millender wouldn't have it any other way.

Originally from San Bernardino, the newly licensed professional fighter got his start as a wrestler at Arroyo Valley High. While he now stands at a long and lean 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, Millender wasn't nearly as physically gifted when he started out on the mat.

"My freshman year, I was wrestling at 103 pounds," he recalled. "I was about 5-foot-8 and probably weighed 99 pounds."

By the time he graduated from Arroyo Valley in 2005, Millender had grown to 6-feet tall and was wrestling in the 152-pound weight class.

While his wrestling career ended after high school, Millender still had a desire to compete.

It didn't take long for him to discover mixed martial arts. Already a fan of the fast-growing Ultimate Fighting Championship, he began training with friends in hopes of competing as an amateur.

In 2008, Millender tried out for a fight team in San Bernardino called Adrenaline FC. After making the team, he was able to fight at the amateur level.

Millender impressed early and often, compiling a 5-0 amateur record.

"I love the competition," he said. "It's not that I love fighting, or that I'm a violent person, it's just that competition is everything to me."

The early success had Millender hungry for more. He began training in Fullerton in 2012 and constantly pushed his coaches to help him get to the pro level.

By February, Millender had passed a series of medical tests, and with letters of recommendation from his coaches as well as opposing coaches, he was awarded his professional fighting license by the California State Athletic Commission.

"My coaches really pulled a lot of strings to get me licensed as a professional," he explained. "I had all these people working really hard to get me to that point. I knew I had to do the same. I had to show them that I was dedicated to do this, too."

Just two weeks after earning professional status, Millender won his first pro bout against Paul Gemmati with a unanimous three-round decision.

"When I knew I had so many people there at the fight – a lot of my friends and family – I didn't want to disappoint them," he said. "Most of all, I didn't want to disappoint the coaches because they gave me tools."

What the win ultimately did was give Millender the confidence he needed moving forward. Controlling the fight from start to finish was reassurance that the 25-year-old was indeed good enough to succeed at the professional level.

In preparation for his most recent fight, Millender went through a six-week training camp, working out twice a day for a total of four hours. His regimen included two 3-mile runs and a 10-mile bike ride in addition to his grueling standup and grappling training inside the ring.

The hard work paid off.

In his second professional appearance on April 11 at Fight Club OC in Costa Mesa, Millender dropped his opponent, Blake Belshe, with a straight right hand in just 34 seconds, winning by knockout.

"I got out of there quick," Millender said with a grin.

While the road to stardom is a long and grueling journey, Millender has gotten off on the right foot. He understands there is a way to go before he starts making noise at the premier level, but he says the equation to get there is very simple.

"Work hard, fight hard and win," he explained. "If you keep training and you keep fighting and you keep winning, you'll climb through the ranks. They'll start to notice you. When you have a good win like I just had, people's eyes will open."

Millender's third fight is scheduled for mid-August.

"I don't know who it is yet," Millender said of his opponent. "But whoever it is, I hope he brings it."

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